On a daily basis people are subjected to a variety of noises of varying amplitude, these sources of noise affecting a person's quality of life in a number of ways ranging from simple annoyance to noise induced fatigue and even hearing loss. Common sources of noise include those related to travel, e.g., subway trains, motorcycles, aircraft engine and wind noise, etc., and those related to one's occupation, e.g., factory equipment, chain saws, pneumatic drills, lawn mowers, hedgers, etc.
To help alleviate background noise while providing a source of entertainment, many people listen to music or other audio programming via a set of headphones. Unfortunately, the use of headphones may also lead to problematic, even dangerous situations if the user is unable to hear the various auditory cues and warnings commonly relied upon in day to day living (e.g., warning announcements, sirens, alarms, car horns, barking dogs, etc.). Accordingly, what is needed is a system that provides its users with the benefits associated with headphones without their inherent drawbacks and limitations. The present invention provides such a system.